7 Playgrounds with A Little Extra

These playgrounds have something in common: at least one aspect that sets them apart from the typical play zone.

Peachtree-Dekalb Airport Park

2000 Airport Rd., Decatur
The child fascinated by aircraft will be wide-eye’d and wow-ing as real airplanes take off and land. Kids can scale the monkey bars, ride down the wavy slide, or step up into a pretend airplane cockpit.

Glenlake Park

1121 Church St., Decatur
While children climb, slide and swing, adults can take advantage of the outdoor fitness equipment adjacent to the kids’ playground. Included: an elliptical trainer, fitness bike, leg press and a seated strength trainer.

Lesli Peterson / expeditionmom.com

Haw Creek Park

2205 Echols Rd., Cumming
No usual stuff here. Instead, your kids can stretch their muscles and imaginations as they climb on bears, toadstools, logs, rock structures and such. This play area is reached via a very short walk through the woods.

Promise Land Playground

Eastside Baptist Church, 2450 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta
The all-wood play structure was built to model “Noah’s Ark.” Kids can swing, slide and use their imaginations as they run in and out of this spacious structure lined with animal wall art.

Stone Mountain Park Children’s Playground

1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain
Kids love this fort-like play structure tucked into nature, with swings, slides, climbing walls, wooden bridges and tunnels. Three covered picnic pavilions perfect for large groups are nearby. Use of the playground (less than a mile past the park’s west gate) is free with your $10 parking fee to the park.

Thrasher Park

93 Park Drive, Norcross
All aboard! As real trains chug by, kids play in a bright red choo-choo train that’s just for them. This playground has an array of features for all ages, and young kids who love trains will be in heaven here.

Ashford Park

2980 Redding Rd. NE, Atlanta
This neighborhood playground is made extra special for little kids. Parents joke that this is where “all the Little Tyke toys go to die,” because plastic riding toys are routinely left here by families when kids outgrow them, so they can be enjoyed by other kids. “We go to Ashford Park at least once a week,” says Anne Stanford, who has a 1½-year-old daughter.

For a list of our 14 "Star" Playgrounds all around Atlanta, click here.